Portugal beat France to win EURO 2016

A poor final to end a modest tournament. Perhaps it is fitting, therefore, that its winners – via an extra-time goal from a former Swansea striker – are a team who finished third in their group and lifted the trophy having won just one game out of seven in 90 minutes.

Portugal deserve credit for their pluck, but that is about it. They lost their captain and best player Cristiano Ronaldo to a knee injury midway through the first half. Caused by a challenge from Dimitri Payet, it was bad luck but nothing more. It was a firm challenge by the West Ham player but not a foul.

After that Portugal simply hung on and hoped they may get a break. They didn’t. They hoped that they may get to extra-time. They did and then somehow they won it.

Portugal striker Eder wrote his name in footballing history as his strike gave his country victory at Euro 2016

Eder scored the only goal of the game in the second half of extra-time with this low right-footed strike

Eder’s 25-yard effort flew past the dive of France captain Hugo Lloris before nestling into the bottom corner of his goal

Eder was promptly mobbed by his team-mates – including the substitutes who ran out on to the pitch to celebrate with him

The 28-year-old’s strike evoked wild scenes among the Portuguese playing and coaching staff

The Lille striker even managed to pull out his trademark celebration by unleashing a white glove after scoring

France should never have allowed themselves to be taken this deep into the game. They started well and although they couldn’t sustain that momentum they were the only team to create chances in the 90 minutes.

Antoine Griezmann, so deadly in the semi-final against Germany, headed the best chance of his whole tournament over the bar from six yards in the second half. Then, in the 90th minute, substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac turned brilliantly in the area only to drag his shot against a post.

After that, a shootout seemed inevitable. It would have suited Portugal.

But moments after left back Raphael Guerreiro had struck the bar with a free-kick in the 109th minute, substitute Eder – who didn’t score for Swansea in 13 league appearances – shrugged off Laurent Koscielny 30 yards from goal, carried the ball a couple of paces and struck a low right-foot shot that Hugo Lloris saw but could not stop as it arrowed into his bottom right-hand corner.

There was bedlam on the Portugal bench even if Ronaldo, complete with knee strapping, could not join in. The drama surrounding him inevitably took some of the focus away from the football. Before that happened, however, France had served notice of their intent and could have led.

Perhaps the French had seen how Portugal allowed Wales to have the ball early on in their semi-final in Lyon before drawing their opponents’ sting to take the game away from them. Or maybe the home team were merely fuelled by adrenaline.

Whatever, they were out of the traps quickly with Sissoko at the heart of some driving attacking play. Sissoko was the first to threaten for France as he volleyed over the bar in the sixth minute, then a powerful run from deep saw the ball break for Griezmann two minutes later. Such has been his form that it was hard to blame Griezmann for shooting, but he sliced the ball wide.

Griezmann was on the end of France’s next attack, however, and this time it required a really good save from Rui Patricio to stop him. Pepe gave the ball away on the touchline and when Payet found Griezmann with a perfect cross, the tiny forward directed a looping header towards the top corner, only to be denied by a flying stop.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo and his France counterpart Hugo Lloris lead their teams out either side of the Henri Delaunay Trophy

France president Francois Hollande (centre) was among the spectators at a sold-out Stade de France

The France supporters perform Iceland’s Viking Clap as the atmosphere continued to build in the French capital

Ronaldo tries to evade the challenge of Paul Pogba during the opening moments of Sunday’s showpiece

Pogba was soon in the action once more as he tried to poke the ball past the tackle of Adrien Silva

Olivier Giroud (right) flicks the ball past Portugal defender Pepe as the Euro 2016 hosts start the brighter of the two teams

Dimitri Payet (left) runs with the ball during the opening exchanges under pressure from Renato Sanches

France’s No 8 has been a figure of inspiration for the tournament hosts this summer and was given special attention by Portugal

Like Payet, Antoine Griezmann (centre) has lit up the tournament for France – having scored six goals before the final

The first real chance of note for Portugal came after five minutes when Nani broke the French defensive line but could only fire over

Portugal were dealt the worst possible blow imagined in the first half when talisman Ronaldo fell to the floor in agony

The 31-year-old’s pain was evident for all to see after a firm challenge from Payet causes damage to his left knee

The 31-year-old holds his face as the medical staff attended to his damaged knee during Sunday’s final

Payet’s tackle on the Real Madrid man was forceful but the Frenchman won the ball

Just moments after Ronaldo’s injury, Griezmann thought he had given France the lead but for this Rui Patricio save

Griezmann’s frustration was evident as he sees his looping effort brilliantly denied by the Portugal No 1

Portugal were given a boost just moments later when Ronaldo returned to the field of play to try and run off his injury

However, after going down for a second time Ronaldo returned with his knee heavily strapped in a bandage

And just moments later Ronaldo departed the Euro 2016 final on a stretcher, shedding tears after suffering a knee injury

The Portugal captain was carried off on a stretcher in the 24th minute, with his Euro 2016 campaign in the cruellest of ways

Ronaldo was distraught as the Portugal medical team helped him off the pitch as he was replaced by Ricardo Quaresma

With only 10 minutes gone, France were dominant. Oliver Giroud brought a more straightforward save from Rui Patricio as he headed a corner into his hands and it seemed only a matter of time before Deschamps’ team made their dominance count.

Strangely, however, Ronaldo’s injury and subsequent exit changed the mood of the game, at least for the remainder of the first half.

Portugal reorganised to bring on Ricardo Quaresma and, as they acclimatised to life without their best player, France struggled to maintain their impressive rhythm.

They were still the better team. Portugal’s attacks came only on the counter and, as they laboured to secure any kind of meaningful possession, they struggled also for real chances. By half-time they had secured a couple of corners and Raphael Guerreiro had pulled a shot wide from 18 yards but there had been little constructive.

For France, Griezmann looked dangerous and confident but was living largely on the periphery. Similarly, Paul Pogba and Payet were not exerting any kind of decisive influence.

Sissoko was different. He was enjoying this game and produced the moment of the half in the 34th minute as he turned beautifully away from his defender on the left of the penalty area before producing a crashing right-foot shot that Rui Patricio was happy to beat away at his near post.

Moussa Sissoko was France’s best attacking threat in the first half with the midfielder’s direct running causing Portugal problems

The 26-year-old came close to breaking the deadlock in the first half with this right-footed strike

Griezmann looked set to put France ahead on 65 minutes but could only head over with just Patricio to beat

The 25-year-old holds his hands on top of his head in disbelief after wasting a glorious chance to score

Giroud manages to steal a yard on Portugal centre back Jose Fonte to fire an effort on goal during the second half

Portugal manager Fernando Santos barks out instructions to his side from the touchline on Sunday evening

The Euro 2016 hosts were given a scare when Lloris misjudged a Nani cross into the box late on

Lloris’ punch went only as far as Quaresma who returned the ball back in the direction it came with this acrobatic effort

Sissoko tries his luck from distance with this ferocious drive but it was beaten away by Patricio

In injury time, Giroud’s substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac looked to have won it for France but his effort struck the base of the post

Those familiar with Sissoko’s football for Newcastle will know the 26-year-old can be powerful. But few would have expected him to carry the fight for France.

With Ronaldo gone, Portugal’s main attacking threat was now their player of the tournament, Nani. By the break, his only threatening moment had come very early when he volleyed over after Cedric had released him from deep.

Deschamps likes to change things early if he feels the game is not going well but here he resisted the temptation, having recognised his team were still on the front foot.

Indeed, nothing much changed early in the second half. Portugal remained content to soak up pressure and it was conceivable that they were already thinking about extra-time. They had been there twice already in this tournament and prevailed both times.

Here, Sissoko continued to carry a very obvious threat. But in terms of chances, France were struggling. Pogba advanced to belt a volley over in the 54th minute but Griezmann and Giroud were getting nothing out of Pepe and Jose Fonte.

Meanwhile, it was no surprise to see exciting 20-year-old winger Coman come on just before the hour but it was interesting that Payet made way.

A tournament that he looked set to own after the group stage was over for the West Ham player sooner than he would have liked.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3683538/Portugal-1-0-France-AET-Eder-s-thunderous-strike-sees-Fernando-Santos-win-Euro-2016-extra-time-stun-tournament-hosts.html#ixzz4E2u8JSEF
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